If, like me, you are suffering from a case of Acute Electionitis (exhaustion and irritation at the mere mention of the words "Palin," "lipstick," or "poll"), I highly recommend the Drum Major Institute's DMI Blog, which focuses on "Politics, policy, and the American Dream." That's code language for "pure progressive wonkery." Last week in Minneapolis, I wrote about the "conservative case for urbanism" -- in other words, how to lift smart growth policies from the realm of the culture wars and consider them as bread and butter good governance. A key message of both Republicans and Democrats who spoke about mass transit policy at the RNCC event was that the federal government must actually incentivize railways over highways, instead of throwing up years worth of bureaucratic barriers in front of states and municipalities that want to construct rain lines.
So let's get specific. Yesterday DMI's John Petro offered some good suggestions for how to do this: Currently, the Federal Transit Authority grants up to 80 percent of the funding for highway projects, yet only up to 60 percent of the funding for mass transit projects. That has to change. And if you're interested in these issues, you'll want to be looking toward California, where, this November, voters will have the opportunity to approve a a high-speed rail line between San Francisco and Los Angeles. The trip will take two hours and cost just $55, less than the lowest cost ticket available on Amtrak between New York CIty and D.C.
--Dana Goldstein
